A man who was involved in the tiger kidnapping of Kilkenny All Ireland hurling champion Adrian Ronan and his family has been sentenced to ten years in prison with the final two suspended.

The court heard Stephen Freeman’s role was to pick up and transport the money after the raid, but he couldn’t drive so a gambling associate taxi driver was hired. The case against Freeman was largely based on him admitting his involvement to this taxi driver.

Freeman, 27, of Ballcurris gardens, Ballymun, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on a trial date to attempted robbery of cash with others from Bank of Ireland, Parliament Street, Kilkenny on Tuesday November 3, 2009.

He also admitted using force on Adrian and Mary Ronan and members of their family in order to frighten them.

He has seven previous convictions at district court level.

Today, Judge Desmond Hogan commented that though he was dealing with an attempted robbery charge, the offence took place as part of a tiger kidnapping.

The judge said: “There are a few categories of offences that in my view nearly are universally regarded with public opprobrium and certainly in my view tiger kidnapping comes within that category”.

The judge said Freeman was acting in common design. He commented Freeman was “enthusiastic” to get involved as he got somebody else to do the driving when he couldn’t fulfil this role.

Judge Hogan described the written statements from the Ronan family as “harrowing reading”.

“I must say that listening to Mr Ronan and the effects it has had on him and his family has left me with nothing but extreme disgust,” the judge said.

He noted the family is still suffering from the effects of the “horrific, abominable crime.”

He said he hoped the outcome of this case would bring the family some closure.

The judge took into account Freeman’s age at the time of the offence and his guilty plea.

He suspended the final two years of the ten year sentence for three years. He also ordered that Freeman undergo any gambling addiction course deemed appropriate by the Probation Services.